Fabrication, Characterization, and Optoelectronic Properties of Layer-by-Layer Films Based on Terpyridine-Modified MWCNTs and Ruthenium(III) Ions

Abstract

A novel full-conjugated 4-(2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyrid-4′-yl) benzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate (diazo-tpy) was synthesized and used for surface modification of materials, such as quartz wafers, ITO glass, silicon, and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Under UV irradiation, the diazonium group of diazo-tpy is decomposed and the residual terpyridine group is covalently anchored to the surface of substrates. The obtained tpy-modified MWCNTs (tpy-MWCNTs) have good solubility in common organic solvents. TGA and HRTEM analyses confirmed that terpyridine groups have been symmetrically grafted on MWCNTs. The thickness of the tpy-modified monolayer is about 2.3 nm, which is approximately 2 times the axial length of the 4-(2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyrid-4′-yl)phenyl group. The introduction of terpyridine groups on the surface of MWCNTs provides a coordination site to complex with metal ions. Multilayer films were fabricated from tpy-MWCNTs and ruthenium ions [Ru(III)] via the layer-by-layer self-assembled (LBL SA) technique ...